the deconstruction of falling stars
by seaofsound
Summary: They meet again at the local farmer's market, and it goes from there. — green/blue
1. Chapter 1

oldrival has been my otp since i was probably 10 but i never wrote anything for them, mainly because they are so difficult! to! write!

they're around their mid-twenties in this fic. i can't decide exactly how old.

the title is tentative bc i'm fickle af

this is also canon compliant, though i dont keep track of where pokespe even is nowadays. all im aware of is that blue and red got crushed by some rocks and green is still in kalos and has adopted the kalos dexholders. so in other words the three of them might just keep adventuring well into their elderly years, since they're literally in their 20s and still doing the same things they've been doing for ten years

* * *

 **the deconstruction of falling stars**

"Green?"

The voice is soft, yet resounds in his mind all the same. It is both familiar and not, like coming home after so many years spent fighting evil and playing the hero. It takes Green a minute to realize he's been staring blankly at an apple, before he calmly sets it down and turns at the sound of his name. Blue smiles at him, her teeth just a little crooked—she had, after all, missed out on typical childhood experiences, like getting braces and also getting them savagely pulled out. But even then, her smile is no less charming and disarming than the rest of her, all an illusion to most. Green almost doesn't recognize her without the white hat or the blue legwarmers, the battle- and travel-worn attire she'd donned for countless years. She looks startlingly normal in a light sundress and plain sandals, especially with the backdrop of the local farmers' market. Her hair—had it always been that reddish?—falls down and around her shoulders, stopping just above her waist. It's shorter than when he'd last seen her, years and years ago, before she'd left to go backpacking across Sinnoh and Unova and Kalos, and he surrounded himself with nothing but Pokémon and work. Still, he hadn't seen her since the years before she went on that eat, pray, love excursion, nor had he made an effort to contact her. Or anyone, for that matter. Red's whereabouts are always a mystery, and Yellow, he knows, resides in town, though he never runs into or hears of her. He makes no effort to do either, and assumes the best for his ex-protege.

"Blue," he says, the name sounding almost foreign despite its utter plainness, as he'd always been more partial to other, more derogatory monikers. "It's been a while."

"You noticed?" She laughs, always a little too loud and a little too high. Before he could make an annoyed retort, she continues, "I ran into Daisy when I was visiting my parents, and she told me you'd settled here in Viridian. She also asked me to check on you 'cause she thinks you're lonely, but I know you're above things like human emotion and companionship."

Punctuated with a shit-eating grin, of course.

Green sighs, then suppresses the urge to roll his eyes at his sister's unnecessary concerns and Blue's quips. He's got an image to protect, after all, and so he moves to sidestep past Blue. "It was nice seeing you. I'll be going—" She steps back to block his path, and he turns the other way to find it crowded with people. He could crawl in the space under her arm, but he doubts that'd be received well by the people, not to mention the fact that Blue could make a big deal out of it just to blackmail him.

"Hey! We haven't seen each other for years and you're already trying to get rid of me?" She pouts and he scowls, a simple summary of their relationship. "I know you've forsaken human emotion and friendship, but I have not. So, lunch tomorrow?"

Friends, he thinks, is a bit of a stretch to call this, whatever this is. They have fought alongside one another, seen each other at their worst, but friends? Maybe he's going soft, or maybe he's too old and tired to protest against Blue's shit, but something makes him give in so easily that he can't remember how he'd brushed her off in the past. He's grown up, too.

—or maybe he just doesn't want to admit that Daisy might be right. Lying is more appealing than being wrong when it comes to one's own circumstances. And it's not like Green Oak ever gets lonely. So, through a clenched jaw, he agrees to meet her for lunch the following day.

"Great! Now, could you pay for this for me? It seems I forgot my wallet!" She makes a worried expression that anyone but him would believe, complete with a finger over her lips, but he ends up begrudgingly paying not only for his month's groceries, but also her years' worth anyway.

"You really have changed." He scrutinizes her after he'd dished out almost half of last week's paycheck, the sunlight reflecting off her namesake eyes. It occurs to him that Blue has always been beautiful, though it is not as though he would ever truly admit that, whether it be in his head or out loud. Especially not to her and her sizable ego. Nonetheless, her cheeks are a bit fuller than he remembers, a side effect of normalcy and domesticity, and her shoulders are softer, less defined. He wonders if, to her, he appears any differently in the same ways.

"What d'you mean?"

"You asked for me to pay instead of just stealing my wallet."

The air is quiet without the wind. She stretches, a lazy cat in the haze of summer, and folds her fingers behind her. He's clutching both of their groceries in his hands, the strain basically nonexistent as he watches her. The heels of her shoes clack lightly on the pavement, and the thought that she is not dressed appropriately for travel swings by his mind just as quickly as it disappears. They are no longer children, after all, and even he would not fare well in his business-casual outfit, out in the wild where they'd spent so much time doing instead of thinking.

"Not that I'd ever doubt my purr-loining skills—" She grins cheekily, eyes crinkling at the corners, before continuing, "but it's been a while. I may not be a gym leader or a researcher or employed, for that matter, but I grew up, too, you know."

"Then what're you doing for money?"

"Odd jobs here and there. I worked as a receptionist for Silph, but it was way too dry, you know, without any crime organizations infiltrating." She chuckles and he does not see the humor in it. "The pay was good, though, better than most. Definitely better than the time I worked at the Game Corner. Did you know there's a bar in the basement? New development, apparently. Way too many drunkards. And my manager was super creepy, but I guess I shouldn't have expected any more than that. I also considered going out for a job as an exotic dancer." At the incredulous look on his face, she continues, "but after my stint at the Game Corner, I really did not feel like being ogled by more men. The pay would've been phenomenal, though." A sigh, almost wistful, slips from her. "What about you? Anything new in the life of the illustrious Green Oak?"

He tries to swallow the redness from his face. It's almost painful. "No."

"Thought so."

He grunts in response before stopping at a crossroads. Viridian's streets are tree-lined and its buildings stout. If he had to, he might picture Blue somewhere else, someplace different, like the glitzy, always fashionable Lumiose in Kalos; or seedy downtown Veilstone; even Castelia's congested streets. Blue is a survivor, someone who can make a living practically anywhere. Viridian seems a little too homey for someone as flighty as her, however. The very image of her flying comes to mind, the way her wigglytuff would inflate and carry her away with her whims. Sometimes, he doesn't see Blue anywhere at all, but at the same time sees her everywhere, bouncing from place to place. Long enough to explore, short enough that she won't want to stay.

And yet, there is still that layer of her that makes him think otherwise, that Viridian is just perfect for Blue. The Blue who is no longer afraid of birds, the one who is not her past. Green supposes it is this Blue that decided to settle here, in the not-quite city streets of Viridian, so close to home but without all the memories—the good and the bad.

"So where exactly are we going?" He gestures as best he can with his hands full, keeping his eyes trained forward.

"On," she says, nodding toward a point in the distance, and he can't even be annoyed at her vagueness as she tugs him along the sidewalk, grass growing between the cracks like her fingers around his arm.


	2. Chapter 2

"On" turned out to be a tiny studio apartment close to downtown Viridian. The complex, like most other areas in town, consisted of brick structures and small green spaces to break up the cobblestone paths. While small, Blue's abode was well taken care of and in one of the nicer areas of Viridian, close in proximity to a stretch of homemade stores and locally sourced cafes.

Green settles her groceries in the middle of her apartment, taking note of the minimal space. Her belongings are cluttered everywhere, clothes and shoes strewn across the wood floor along with outdated magazine issues ranging from PokéGirl to Trainer's Monthly. To his immediate left are the tiny kitchenette and a white table, a lone chair pushed against it. Opposite the door is a large window looking out onto the street, letting in a healthy amount of sunlight upon the faded brick wall. He spots blastoise out on the fire escape, watering the potted plants with surprising gentleness. Below the window, Blue's bed is pressed against the far wall; the sheets, endlessly blue, are unmade and a pillow has fallen to the floor. Her pokéballs are amongst the junk scattered across the surface, and Green takes note of her wigglytuff napping on a small fluffy bed.

"It's a little small for my tastes, really, and the neighbors could be a little quieter, but you know!"

 _Beggars can't be choosers_ is what she says without words, and Green wonders just how she's surviving on her own like this, in the adult world. Her scams can only get her so far. "How long have you been here, anyway?"

Plopping backwards onto her bed, she says, "About a month or two."

"And this is the first I'm seeing of you."

She rises on her elbows, a familiar mischievous glint in her eye. He's never known her without it. "Why? Are you disappointed?"

"No," he says, silently proud of his composure. "Just surprised, is all. I'd have thought you would seek me out on your first day here just to be a nuisance, or to ask for help, but the two go hand in hand."

"Do you really think so low of me?" She smiles, thoroughly amused. "Well, to be completely honest, I wouldn't seek you out first, I'd seek Yellow, mostly because she has basic human empathy and more sympathy than you ever will. Also, I figured I'd give you a little time before barging into your life again. I didn't want to give you a heart attack, you know, in our old age."

He frowns pointedly. "We're twenty-five."

" _You're_ twenty-five, _I'm_ twenty-six. Thanks for the reminder, though. I need to make sure I prepare my will and life insurance. Just in case I don't make it in time, everything goes to my Pokemon."

"Figured." Green turns toward the door, intent on leaving her be with her apparent disregard for life. "I'll be seeing you."

"Don't forget, you're picking me up for lunch tomorrow!" In response, he slams her door shut, though it does nothing to conceal her soft giggling that filters through like the light under her door.

It's about an hour's walk back to his own apartment a few blocks from the gym. The sky is pleasant with the onset of the sun's descent, turning the few clouds a deep pink and even purple to the east. The air is warm, comfortably so, and Green stuffs his hands into his pockets and relishes in the feeling. Without the distraction of Blue or people, he allows himself to fall completely at ease with the world, and the world with him, as most of the people of Viridian would be settling in for dinner with their families. He even considers giving Daisy a call, just to reassure her that he does not need her to look after him anymore and never has (though even he is not so obtuse to believe that, not anymore), that he is a perfectly capable adult. And maybe he does want to know how she's doing. Last he remembers she and Bill were trying for a child; perhaps they've succeeded.

Three quarters into the trek home, he realizes he's left his groceries at Blue's, and mentally curses himself and her, because of course this is all her damn fault, as he turns and sprints back in the direction from where he came. It is so like her, that the tranquility of the evening dissipates with something as simple as her presence in town.

Upon arriving at her door, he knocks once, then twice, and thinks she must be doing this on purpose just to annoy him. He tries the knob, and finding it unlocked, promptly marches inside to gather what's left of his groceries, because _of course_ she'll mooch as much as she can off of him even though he's already bought her hundreds of dollars' worth—

He stops at the sight of her passed out on the floor, even more magazines and photographs littered over every surface. Her arm covers half her face in an attempt to block the sunlight that no longer invades the apartment, and her limbs are splayed this way and that. She looks vulnerable, terribly so, and he is reminded of a bleary, yet hectic, summer years ago, the summer they turned to stone, but today there is no such looming threat. Even still, he makes a mental note to chide her for her carelessness, because although Viridian is relatively safe (he's the gym leader; like hell it wouldn't be), it's important to exercise caution at all times. And her blastoise's apparent absence from the fire escape doesn't help her circumstances much.

Green is knocked out of his reverie by the light shuffling of feet, and he glances down into the vacuous eyes of Blue's wigglytuff. Her ears twitch twice before she proceeds to jump at his face. Green sputters in surprise, before succumbing to his fate, having already struggled against his fair share of impositions. The rabbit settles atop his head and leans curiously, observant of his every move. She must remember him; otherwise, he would've gotten a swift kick to the face upon entry.

He steps into the kitchen and gets to work searching for his purchases. The bags are all gone by now, of course, and he makes quick work of her cabinets and refrigerator. Green curls his lip at the sight of her idea of food, as he comes across rows of sugary snacks and not much else aside from Pokemon food and treats, and he hopes even she doesn't mess with those. Above him, wigglytuff chitters, and he hands her a treat.

Not a single shred of fresh produce. He's not surprised in the least.

Green gathers himself in defeat after having pored through the kitchen's contents in the span of seven minutes. There's no other place in the apartment for Blue to have hidden his things, and so he makes his way over to her and begins nudging her awake. She whines and continues to lay prone on the floor.

"Blue, wake up. It's the evening. What the hell are you doing napping at this hour?" He shakes her shoulder and even flicks her face once or twice, yet she still refuses to budge. Green sighs in defeat, before wigglytuff leaves her perch upon his head to jump onto Blue's chest with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Startled, she coughs and scans the room with wide eyes.

"Green, while I don't necessarily mind waking up to your pretty face, what're you doing back? Can't get enough of me, perhaps?"

He snorts. "Quite the contrary. Now where are my things? I'd forgotten them here."

"I sent Blasty to deliver them to you. You didn't see him?"

"What? No." He crosses his arms and searches her for any hint of amusement or mischief. "I'm surprised you didn't take them for yourself."

She only wrinkles her nose in distaste. "All you had in there was a bushel of spinach, weird vegetables that I don't know the name of, like two apples, and garden soil. Whatever that's for. Is that the new fad here? Eating soil? Are you _vegan_?"

He rolls his eyes and feels sixteen again. "Well, it's better than the shit you're eating. When's the last time you ate something that wasn't processed?"

"I don't know! Stop mothering me!" She throws her head back and releases a groan like a dramatic teenager, seven years too late. Green shakes his head incredulously before rising and promptly walking out the door to find the hulking blastoise and finally return home.

Thankfully, he finds Blasty relatively quickly. The turtle isn't exactly hard to miss amongst the mostly empty streets of Viridian at sundown. Green takes the bags hanging from Blasty's cannons and offers it a treat that he'd salvaged from Blue's, and Blasty takes it carefully, almost _guiltily_. Green, in his haste, thinks nothing of it as he makes his way home, simply thankful to settle in for a quiet, peaceful evening.

Upon arriving home, he flicks the lights on in his apartment and releases a breath that seems to take the life of him with it. He sets the bags down on the kitchen counter, yet a frown overtakes his features. Testing the weight of the bags, Green jostles them this way and that before tearing into them, only to find his spinach gone. One apple remains, the other reduced to a mere core. Thankfully, the soil is still intact, but gratitude does not cross Green's mind as his brow twitches in annoyance, and he resists the urge to let loose a yell.

"God _fucking_ dammit," he curses, because it is the only thing he has left to do after he failed to acquire Blue's contact information, even after all these years. With a sigh through the nose, Green bites into the remaining apple, the crunch piercing the quiet air, and leaving him with the thought that life in Viridian has never been more inconvenient.


End file.
